As it is known, one of the main difficulties visually impaired or blind people have to face is being able to interact in changing and/or unknown environments, since this involves the existence of several obstacles and difficulties impeding their free-movement.
Currently, there are different solutions to aid visually impaired or blind people, including “white” canes, specially trained dogs, or even electronic devices comprising video systems, ultrasound sensing systems, laser-based systems, echolocation-based systems having microphones and transducers, and GPS navigation systems through smart devices.
The use of different media to aid visually impaired or blind people depends on the users' ability to utilize said media, as well as on the cost thereof.
The so-called “white” canes are instruments which allow identifying that a person is visually impaired or blind; further, these instruments allow them to move autonomously. This tactile tool guides blind people's paces by helping them sense the type of surface they are walking on, as well as the obstacles that might be in their way; however, said white cane offers a sensing capability only below the user's waist, which allows to walk sensing surfaces and obstacles at a short distance, but leaving the user unaware of suspended or projecting objects at a higher height, such as tree branches, extinguishers, vending machines, vehicle and trucks rear-view mirrors, cantilevers or furniture projecting edges, among others.
Nowadays, there are devices having the purpose of helping to reduce said white-cane limitations, which comprise bayed canes to help blind people, said canes have additional devices using laser rays or ultrasound devices which function is sensing a single object at a time, which is located at a specific height with respect to the user, that is to say, to be located in front of the user, at the user's head level or at ground level.
Said canes having additional devices need to be configured by the user in order to carry out the sensing of the object, according to the height needed to be recorded, and they could be very expensive or they might fail at sensing all the obstacles being present to the user, thus limiting his/her movements. In addition, these canes, when not in use, need to be disassembled and carried, either in special containers or in any other kind of cane-carrier, thus implying the disadvantage of said white canes getting lost easily.
In addition, there are other multiple electronic devices such as support instruments for the visually impaired or blind, however, these are expensive and impractical. For example, there are belts having sensors and comprising a big-sized and heavy-weight controller, and due to said features, said controllers have to be carried on a special compartment on the user's back.
Particularly, in the state of the art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,204 was found, related to a cane having an ultrasound sensor that feeds back the user by a sound emission, which causes interference with other existing aid elements for the visually impaired or blind, either in walkways or in facilities having this kind of aids which also emit warning sounds to the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,054,246 relates to an electronic device, serving as a support for the visually impaired or blind, by using an Echolocation system; said device has the drawback of being non-easily adaptable to the user, i.e., it is non-ergonomic, non-portable and it has a great volume.
DE3836961 shows an orientation device for blind people, using an ultrasound sensor, but said device is non-ergonomic or comfortable to the user.
Likewise, DE3544047 describes the use of the same ultrasound sensor system adapted to a white cane.
JP61091582 relates to a radar principle-based method and system; however, its implementation is extremely expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,403 makes reference to a radar system using one transmitter and two ultrasound receivers, which has the disadvantage of specially requiring a reference or transmitter to be able to move from one location to another.
CN103312899 discloses an application to be installed in a smart-phone, whereby the photographic camera module in said phone works as a guide for blind people; however, it has the obvious disadvantage of requiring the use of a smart-phone, and further, most smart-phones comprise an interaction medium with the user such as a touch-screen, which is obviously difficult to manage by a visually impaired or blind person, and this limits the user by having to get a smart-phone specially designed for visually impaired or blind people.
WO2012159128 discloses a device having two or more components, where one is attached to a white cane and the other components are attached to different user's body parts. This has clear disadvantages due to its complex utilization.
CN102614068 discloses a complex companion-robot system for the visually impaired or blind, which communicates with the user by means of a waist-cord, which in turn supports another warning sign-emitting device. This system, as may be seen in said document, is complex, it comprises several spaced apart elements and consequently multiple connections, and further, it is extremely expensive.
CN102048612 discloses a robotic-vehicle, which records the environment by means of a camera, processes it and communicates it to the user, this device has the clear disadvantage of being expensive added to the complex operation thereof.
In view of the above, the intention is to overcome the drawbacks and disadvantages present in the devices of the state of the art in order to help the visually impaired or blind to move, by means of a new electronic device allowing to detect the user surrounding environment making it easier for him/her to move, as well as to offer an easy-to-use, low-cost ergonomic portable device.